Definitions+&+Characteristics+of+YAL

**WORKING DEFINITIONS OF YAL:**
“YAL has many common characteristics: Conflicts are often consistent with the young adult’s experience, themes are interest to young people, protagonists and most characters

Other considerations include target ages 12-18 and an emphasis on choice v. mandated school reading.

 * ====**CHARACTERISTICS OF YAL (Class 2):** //Drawing on the reading from// //Bushman & Haas,//====

// have identified as characteristics of ////YAL://
|| ====**Our Definitions of YAL Collected F17**==== (using [|WordClouds.com]) ||
 * * ====Emotional independence====
 * ====Real-life experiences====
 * ====Sounding board where no one else is listening====
 * ====Idea of coming of age====
 * ====Connections to identity====
 * ====Representation; characters like you and unlike you====
 * ====Personal ideology; challenging ideas you're brought up with====
 * ====Moral responsibility; learning how your actions affect yourself and others====
 * ====Serve to help young people with problems/conflict in society====
 * ====Coping and understanding physical changes====
 * ====Escape or time machine for the nostalgic====
 * ====Provides a different version of events for mature readers====
 * ====Helps w/ decision-making and consequences====
 * ====Bridge to opening discussion about one's own experiences====
 * ====Helps to recognize one's own biases====
 * ====Providing comfort and hope====
 * ====Community====
 * ====Allows reader to explore new "inexperienced" areas in life that seem appealing====
 * ====Provides privacy to venture into taboo topics to gain knowledge and experience====
 * ====//Continue adding to the list...//==== || [[image:eci-521-teaching-lit-for-ya-f17/521-F17 YAL Defs WordCloud_e.jpg width="468" height="419"]] ||